American gromwell, Lithospermum latifolium

Following up from yesterday's blog, here's another flash. This gromwell was in deep shade, and difficult to do without some extra light. The alternative is slow exposures that have their own issues. Out there in the windy world, flowers almost never hold completely still. Faster exposures in low light produce grainy pictures. Flash does darken the background, helping to eliminate distractions. Small subjects like these less-than-quarter-inch flowers provide even less natural light. American gromwell grows in shade in AR, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD(E), MI(SC), MN, MO, MS, NY, OH, PA(E), SD, TN, VA, WI, WV, ON, and qc. Ives Fen Preserve, Lenawee Co MI, 5/28/11.